Fashion forecasting is a process of analysing upcoming trends by predicting colours, fabrics and styles that will be a part of latest collections in the stores. The forecaster works on all categories and variants of the fashion industry.

Haute couture, pret-o-porter or ready-to-wear and street wear or mass market, all can benefit from trend forecasting. It also involves a study of emerging trends in make-up, beauty and cosmetics, to predict a complete look of the season.

Various practices involved in forecasting are:

a) Study of various fashion seasons

b) As an impact of globalisation, mapping of megatrends by analysing collections at fashion capitals of the world

c) Comparative study of current and previous trends

d) Identifying the niche market/client/group

e) Understanding and analysing the demographic and psycho graphic structure of the targeted market/client/group

f) Predicting themes, stories and trends for upcoming season by generating a style and trend report

Various fashion seasons

Design collections are launched as per specific seasons. These include:

a) Spring/Summer

b) High Summer

c) Pre-fall

d) Autumn/Winter

e) Resort/Cruise

The two biggest seasons are Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. These collections are showcased at major fashion weeks almost six months prior to when they appear in stores. These include both haute couture as well as ready-to-wear collections.

High summer is when some fashion houses or brands launch a collection after Spring/Summer collection has been launched. Several times, these collections are extremely impactful on trends that will emerge in the upcoming season.

Resort/cruise collections are launched for those who are keen on wearing trendy comfort wear at holidays or while travelling for leisure.

Pre-Fall collections have a wide customer range but they are launched to target the elite fashion fanatics and leaders. These fashion leaders are fond of an updated wardrobe. Celebrities of various fields are often the first to get these fresh off the runway outfits.

Something in the human spirit is always itching for independence and this itch translates to a constant flow of new entrepreneurs that so often gravitate towards fashion jewelry. What is so irresistible about this accessory? Beyond the high profit margins that wholesale fashion jewelry can open for retailers lies an intrinsic beauty that creates truly wearable art. Yes, wholesale fashion jewelry offers plenty of profit potential that enables retailers to turn small investments into the longest mark-up in the fashion industry, but the magic of fashion jewelry’s beauty stops consumers in their tracks and this magnetic attraction, more than anything else, brings the entrepreneur into retail sales specializing in jewelry.

Many of these new fashion jewelry businesses begin on the simplest level with retailers buying wholesale fashion jewelry and presenting it to friends and co-workers. Easy sales and new found profits ignite a fire to grow the business, but what step comes next? As a twenty-five year veteran of the wholesale fashion jewelry industry, I have seen business after business start in this way and often grow to become the major supplier of fashion accessories in a community. The learning curve never ends as fashion jewelry evolves as well as retail tactics, but some things never change and these key techniques will have positive impact on your fashion jewelry business.

But first, how are you going to sell your treasure of wholesale fashion jewelry? Outgoing personalities love the active sale. Visit businesses, do parties, set up in flea markets or craft shows, and bubble over with enthusiasm as you introduce stunning fashion jewelry to consumers. All they need is a crowd and permission to set up. Bingos, festivals, school picnics, car shows, sporting events-the list is endless. Overhead is low and actually stops when not engaged in sales activities. But so does sales, so many prefer brick and mortar businesses with a higher overhead, but continuing business even when you’re not there.

The quieter, methodical personality may not be up to this bubbling enthusiasm and choose a passive sales mode. Successful businesses often build without the entrepreneur ever engaged in active sales to the consumer. They connect with beauty shops and other locations to provide fashion jewelry on consignment with the owner profiting as well as the entrepreneur. Methodical personalities think out the details like how to handle shrinkage of missing items with no sales recorded. Increasing price and lowering consignment fees compensates for losses when fashion jewelry has open exposure that can result in more shrinkage. The flip side is reduced sales in secure environments like showcases or behind the counter, which reduce shrinkage, but unfortunately, also sales.

Okay, both personalities have a selling method they are comfortable with and both can expand their business with online marketing by working on websites while their sales support them as the websites grow, climbing higher in the results of major search engines. But what about the 5 shortcuts to retail success? They boil down to pricing, selection, presentation, knowledge, and benefits.

-First comes pricing the wholesale fashion jewelry. New entrepreneurs often feel shock waves as they see the wholesale cost compared to retail prices they paid as consumers. The first temptation is undercut all the competition. Stop there!-because fashion jewelry is cyclical and low prices generate low profits that don’t carry retailers through the tough times. Do you want to spend all your earnings on restocking wholesale fashion jewelry and covering overhead? Of course not, you want to grow your business and make a profit and pricing is important.

Retail uses a term called keystone-a nice word for doubling the wholesale price. Make keystone the minimum for mark-up in fashion jewelry and look for the items that give you room for far longer mark-ups. The upside has no rules. Let your intuition guide you because prices can always come down, but it is difficult to go up.

-Next comes selection and this is a factor that major retailers like fine department stores are always struggling to get right. Stroll through one and you will see they have reduced staff on the floor so selection often has to sell itself. The fine department stores need “no miss” choices and have resources, forecasts, statistics, and trained buyers to make these decisions. Small retailers don’t need to be discouraged because this isn’t rocket science and you are closer to the clientele in your location than any major retailer.

Making the perfect selection rests on the age and demographics of your main customer base. Add this to the fashion trends of the season and you are close to perfect. How do you keep up with all those rapid changing fashion trends? Well rapid change is a myth. Trends change very slowly-often over a decade. Yes, colors and subtle adjustments occur every season, but today we are in the midst of classic trends that started in the early 21st century and have a promising future. More on this when we cover knowledge.

-Now for presentation-making the fashion jewelry look special. Ever notice how necklaces clumped together on a tee bar on top of a showcase seem to scream “I’m on sale” while the stuff in the showcase whispers “I’m special”. That’s presentation and how it has changed even for fine department stores.

Teri Agins in The End of Fashion details how department stores that were once “the first visual contact with fashion” and “introduced merchandise concepts to customers” changed in the late 20th century to a collection of brands. Agins quotes one upscale shopper who “was appalled when she discovered $19.99 Nine West shoes displayed right next to $350 Chanels” in her favorite department store that was compromising its image of elite fashion. Make an item look special and it takes on the perception of higher value.

-Next comes knowledge that is worth more than price. Don’t believe it? Think of items you bought because the sales person impressed you with a deep understanding of the product. That was worth more than price. I personally experienced this lesson when I did a trade show with a colleague. I told my customers the fashion jewelry was a real value at the price. His sales person painted a word picture of the wholesale fashion jewelry with the season’s apparel and wrote more orders without the customers even knowing the price.

Knowledge is knowing the trends and knowing the item. Consumers trust a well-informed source and when you know what is today’s style and why it looks right on the customer, you remove the burden of choice from the buyer.

Knowledge today goes deeper because classic trends in fashion jewelry bring gemstone components, shell, Murano style glass, Millefiore, and more to jewelry designs. A story is worth volumes in explaining glass jewelry and knowledge of gemstones that removes the doubt about whether it is real. Don’t be overwhelmed about understanding the trends and knowledge of today’s components because everything is detailed in a report, Wholesale Fashion Jewelry-The Magic of Trends (find a link to the report at the foot of this article).

-Finally there are benefits. Think of benefits as vision-what the customer envisions. Anyone that buys fashion jewelry wants to make a positive statement. They want a look that is flattering and appropriate. So like the car commercial running on the radio, features describe the details like length, color, texture, and shape while benefits say “matches apparel while complementing your complexion”, “draws attention to your slender neck”, or “creates a youthful look that is so you”. The old adage of sell the sizzle, not the steak, gets to the point. Pick the right item for the customer, be sincere, and sell the sizzle.

Will all this work in a slowing economy? Absolutely! In worrisome times women appreciate an escape valve of some small

With the ever-growing popularity of the internet, access to different clothing is easier than ever for the average consumer. One area that continues to spread globally, previously rarely seen in the West, is Asian fashion. The vibrant and varied colours and styles of Asia have developed a keen international market, particularly those fashions coming from Korea and Japan.

Japan and Korea lead the way in spreading Asian fashion to the rest of the world because of the rapid adoption of cutting edge technology in these countries. Always eager to adopt modern technology, Japanese and Korean markets similarly aim to enjoy the most modern fashion trends. Japanese and Korean clothing is some of the most forward-thinking in the world.

Origins of Asian Fashion

The forward-thinking styles come from a history of eager adaptation to modernity in these countries, and the unique styles of modern Asian fashion actually have their roots in 19th Century attitudes. After Japan was first opened to the West, Japanese fashion combined the trends and styles of foreign labels and markets with traditional culture and trends, an attitude which continues today. Often this clothing is homemade with customisation added by the wearer. These highly adaptable styles of clothing are often referred to as Japanese Street Fashion, and are now chronicled by a number of websites.

Influence of Japanese Fashion

Much of the Asian fashion you will find on such websites stems from Japan, where many different styles of clothing exist. Street fashion includes such styles as Lolita (looking like a young girl), Gyaru (girly-glam) and Bosozoku (inspired by manga and anime). Recent trends have leant towards doll-like and fantasy elements being introduced, for instance dolly kei and fairy kei fashions, whilst Japanese hip-hop is also increasingly influential.

The immediate influence of these various Japanese street fashion styles is felt in China, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The West Coast of the United States is also receptive to the trends. As a result, these surrounding countries share many similar styles and trends, though in the nature of street fashion they are suitably adaptive. In Hong Kong, for instance, where business is paramount, styles tend to be more conservative.

In addition to these more locally influenced countries, Asian fashion is increasingly popular on the global market. Famed Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo, founder of brand Comme des Garcons, has played a large role in the fashion industry since the 80s, and worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton and high-street retailers H&M. In addition, easy access to Asian media, such as films and anime, has made Asian fashion more popular in Western society.

What makes Asian fashion so popular is the sheer originality of the designs. Consumers are encouraged to customise their own clothing, and as a result outfits can look incredibly diverse. Asian clothing has potential for a lot of personality, with each sub-category relating to certain principles. These fashions instantly make a wearer part of an identifiable movement. For instance, cult kei, another modern style, uses a range of distinctive religious iconography.

Asian Clothing Online

Another reason Asian fashion is so popular is that online markets makes it easy to acquire for consumers all over the world. Bidding sites such as eBay are heavily populated by international sellers giving access to new trends and original designs. A quick online search for Asian fashion, Korean Fashion, Japanese fashion will bring you directly to trending markets. By shopping for these fashions online, you can be sure to be at the forefront of emerging styles, at affordable prices. User reviews are abundant to ensure that you buy quality products, so even when ordering from halfway around world you can be sure of a good deal.

You can also gain access to ever-evolving original designs by visiting custom online markets where users from all over the world design their own clothing to sell. Beyond purchasing clothing, the internet allows users to critique designs, comment on each others’ clothing and increasingly share and combine their fashions.

It’s a fashionista’s worst experience, even worse than looking oversize buddy, more degrading than wearing the same dress in another party — it’s the fear of symbolizing looking yesteryear fashion trend model.

Sometimes, fashion trends is considered as fads, are disreputably erratic. The fashion industry players are always on the quest to bring up something “NEW” & “HOT”.

What is Fashion Trend?

Trend is the lead in which something new evolving, mostly leaning, penchant and line of growth. Hence, fashion trend is the latest evolvement of the fashion industry.

What is Fashion Trend Really About?
Your closet can give the answer. If you don’t want to look at it, well.well. this resembles that you are matching your steps with the latest fashion trends. What it’s relation to fashion? People stick rigidly to the rules – okay, maybe not ‘YOU’. You may be one of those who walk their own way and dress as they like. When it comes to the fashion industry, it’s a continuously changing world. Even though some trends are considered as ludicrous and outdated, many other comebacks with innovative ideas.

Pace and Re-emergence of Latest Fashion Trends
Now its new millennium, but most of fashion things like the pegged pant legs, jelly bracelets, and finally the denim jeans, seem to be returning in trends again. It comes out that the latest fashion trends are simply have nothing new at all. Almost everything re-emerged in fashion trend. You can virtually find torn jeans in every clothing retail store.

Who decides What’s ‘Hot’ and ‘Not’ in Fashion Trends

There is no existence of specific group who declares what is hot fashion trend or not. In fact, the fashion designers and consumers who buys-out the fashion merchandise make their judgment and throw several opinions out there and observe what is grabbed.

Basically, ‘WE’, the consumer decide which merchandise is hot by making our minds what to purchase and wear.

The Fashion Trend Cycle

First part of the cycle, where the trend is highly hunted immediately after seeing that great fashionable hat, dress or shoe on the runway, red carpet or music video. Next, comes the emulation phase, where everyone wants a piece of the trend. Only big shots, celebrities and fashion industry players have approach to latest fashion right off the runway, which yet not showed up in retail stores.

During second phase, this newbie will appear in news papers, fashion magazines, TV and internet. At last, the trend will be soaked in the market, commonly at bit lower cost.

In the second phase new merchandise is available in bit expensive designer collections. It is only the third phase, where the merchandise is available to the mass market at affordable cost for most buyers.

The major part of over all mass will purchase it somewhere between second and third phase.

Before two or three decades it might have taken a some rears to make it from runway to mass market, however, nowadays producers have put the fashion cycle into rapid speed. Now, a hot trend often makes it appearance in low cost or discount retail store in as little as a few days or months.

In & Out of Fashion Trend

Reasonably priced fashionable clothing is a double-edged sword that make possible to buy fashionable looks at real-life budgets, at the same time leads to abolish the trend rapidly. However, when the market is completely saturated with a same monotonous trend it loses its appeal.

So how we can assume that how long a fashion trend will last? Let us find out:

Generally, most fashion trends last nearly one year, but some trends, usually the acceptable, last much longer. It is considered that normally fashion trends re-emerge nearly every twenty years. Hence, the minis skirts of the 80s are back in trends again.

The key to assume that how long a trend will last depends on from when you bought the collection. If you bought when the knock-off or discounts are going at retail store, then the count for the trend last not more one or two seasons. Fashion industry normally dumps together two seasons together, Spring and Summer, Fall and Winter, which provides you about six months to wear before it seems looks outdated.

In fact it is not specified that how long a fashion trend will last, you can put money on the just fads such as jeans, Uggs, hats etc… It doesn’t signify that you might not get fun in purchasing them. They are the evergreen items you would like to purchase any time.

Purchasing power can keep a trend on oxygen. In some cases people love particular trends so much they wouldn’t let it die.

The safeguard against rapidly changing fashion trends is to have a clothing line stocked with more traditional looks: T-shirts, jeans, and black dresses.

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